


Black Scrubs

by Hazzaandloubearforever



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mpreg, Nurse!Harry, Pregnant!louis, eventually smut, graphic birth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-02
Updated: 2019-07-03
Packaged: 2020-06-02 19:31:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19448095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hazzaandloubearforever/pseuds/Hazzaandloubearforever
Summary: It seems like Louis’ prayers get answered when a lanky man with a mop of curly brown hair pushed back with a floral bandana and clad in black scrubs literally stumbles into the room, an apologetic look on his face.“Sorry, mate, I swear I have two left feet.”Or an AU where Louis' in a labor and Harry is his nurse...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi peoples!! :D 
> 
> I'm back with another! I was going through my old email from when I used to have Tumblr and found a buttload of prompts and this one I stumbled upon! This will be three parts! :)
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are welcomed! Thank you all for reading!

Part 1

“Fuck, this is painful,” Louis moans as he grips the rails of the hospital bed. It’s his tenth contraction since he’s been admitted and they haven’t let up in the slightest.

Louis’ mum would be here but Lottie’s away on a school trip and his mum can’t find someone to look after his siblings. The poor woman feels horrible that she can’t be there for her son, especially with this being his first baby. Louis had assured her he didn’t want her to see him writhing in pain. Despite, Louis’ words, the blue-eyed man wishes there was someone to keep him company; someone to distract him from this God-forsaken pain.

It seems like Louis’ prayers get answered when a lanky man with a mop of curly brown hair pushed back with a floral bandana and clad in black scrubs literally stumbles into the room, an apologetic look on his face. 

“Sorry, mate, I swear I have two left feet.”

Louis stares at the man amusedly as Mr. Clumsy straightens up and walks over to the monitors as if he just didn’t just embarrass himself. “And you are?”

“I’m Harry. I’ll be your RN for the remainder of the evening and maybe assist the doctor in the delivery of your baby depending on how long your labor takes.”

Louis furrows his brows. “What happened to Rose?” Rose is sweet. He likes Rose.

“Rose had a family emergency and had to leave,” Harry answers idly as he jots down Louis’ vitals and checks the IV bag. “But I assure you, I am just as qualified as Miss Rose.”

“I wasn’t going to question your qualifications, Harold,” Louis pipes. “I was just curious.”

“That’s not my name. It’s just Harry,” Harry corrects and Louis rolls his eyes with a smile.

Harry smiles in return and Louis wonders what he did during his lifetime to get a nurse that was so beautifully attractive and polite. He’s also wondering why they had to meet upon these circumstances. Louis wasn’t exactly innocent hence why he’s in this current predicament and if he wasn’t in pain and feeling like a whale, he’d definitely turn on his charm.

“Well, Louis, you’re progressing nicely it looks like. Rose said you were admitted this morning around five o’clock when your water broke?”

“Correct,” Louis nodded. “And this child is taking her sweet damned time.”

Harry chuckles and walks over to Louis, pulling the blanket down to reveal his swollen belly and the string of monitors attached to it. “Have the contractions been steady?”

Louis shrugs. “For the most part, I think? They come and go but they haven’t been unrelenting if that’s what you mean.”

Harry nods in acknowledgment and adjusts the straps around Louis’ bump as he checks the fetal monitor and jots down his findings. “I’m sorry to do this, but I have to check your dilation.”

Usually, Louis wouldn’t care sine both Rose and his obstetrician have checked him multiple times since he first came in. But this was a sexy male nurse that was going to have fingers inside him. Louis would prefer this sexy nurse’s fingers inside him in a different circumstance; one where it wasn’t medically necessary and he was one hundred pounds lighter. 

Harry must sense Louis’ inner turmoil or uncertainty because he pulls the blanket back over his belly and grabs a pair of gloves. “I know it’s not the most comfortable feeling but I’ll be quick, I promise. I’m known to be quite good with my hands.” Harry winks and Louis’ eyes go wide at the double entendre.

Jesus, not only was his nurse hot but he was cheeky, too. And here Louis thought he was the cheeky one. “Jesus, mate. Are you always this naughty?”

“Only to handsome blokes,” Harry says nonchalantly with a smirk as he slips on the latex gloves and grabs the stool set off to the side and places it at the end of the bed.

Louis scoffs. “I’m far from handsome right now, mate. I’m the size of a whale and a sweaty mess.”

“For one, you’re pregnant, and two, you’re in labor,” Harry argues. “All those feelings are quite normal to have.” Harry positions himself between Louis’ legs and peels the blanket back until its resting on the tips of Louis’ knees. “Besides, you’re all belly. Pregnant mums would kill to have your figure.”

Louis bends his knees as high as his belly will allow almost mechanically and spreads them wider, feeling cool air around his nether regions. “Yeah, right. This gown is hiding all the fat I’ve acquired— _shit!_ ” Louis gasps when he feels two of Harry’s fingers slip inside him and push in deep. They’re out of him as fast as they were put in that Louis doesn’t have a chance to properly react.

“Sorry about that,” Harry apologizes, patting Louis’ knee before he removes the gloves. “Everyone tends to tense up if I warn them. I told you I’d be quick.”

Louis lets out a staccato breath as he watches Harry push the stool back to its place in the corner and toss the gloves into the bin. “You barely had them in sixty seconds, it seems. Are you sure you got all the information you needed?”

Harry smirks at Louis’ remark and rolls his eyes. In any other situation, Harry would have made some sexual innuendo but his mouth has gotten him trouble a time or two so he refrains. “Yes, Louis. You’re six centimeters. I told you I was good with my hands.”

The pregnant man flushes because he’s in labor for Christ’s sake and shouldn’t be thinking about wanting Harry’s fingers back inside him in a different circumstance, preferably with his legs on the taller male’s shoulders while he prepares him for his cock. _Jesus, Louis, knock it off._

“Don’t you have other patients to attend to?” Louis asks, biting back a smirk, trying to rid his mind of sexual thoughts. Now was not a good time to get hard.

The lanky nurse faux-pouts and crosses his arms over his broad chest. “Aw, come on, _Lewis,_ we were just having fun.”

Louis narrows his eyes. “It’s _Louis,_ and if I didn’t know any better, _Harold,_ I’d think you were flirting with me.”

Harry rolls his eyes and flashes the pregnant lad a wide grin that makes Louis’ insides melt. “Maybe I am.”

“Do you flirt with all your patients?” Louis suddenly asks seriously. 

Louis’ all for flirtatious joking because he’s a pretty good judge of character and can instantly tell if there’s a connection with the men he flirts with. But, if Harry’s doing this out of his natural behavior and nothing will transpire from their teasing flirtation, then the pregnant man doesn’t want to be made a fool of.

Harry senses the severity of Louis’ tone and responds with his own vicious remark. “Only the ones that are heavily pregnant and in labor.”

“Very funny,” Louis scoffs.

Harry adjusts the bandana on his head and looks at Louis with a grave expression. “I don’t just flirt with anyone. I’ve only decided to flirt with you.” The nurse says nothing further as he checks Louis’ vitals one more time and adds information to his charts.

Louis wonders if he may have been a bit harsh. “Harry…”

“You’re almost out of fluids. I’ll bring you a new bag,” Harry responds apathetically, ignoring Louis’ plea of his name and quickly exits the room.

Louis frowns, feeling like proper shit. He didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. He’s known the man all of twenty minutes and already offended him. He briefly wonders if he’s offended Harry to the point that he’s going to have a different nurse assigned to him. Louis doesn’t get to dwell on that further because another contraction wracks Louis’ body causing him to cry out. He writhes in the bed, focusing on the purple stuffed bear that Rose had given him earlier as his focal point and tries to breathe. He hopes his daughter doesn’t take much longer to come out. Louis’ not sure how much longer he can endure this.

***

Louis’ properly sobbing as another contraction courses through him. He’s lying on his side, gripping the railing and cursing everything to hell. Harry hasn’t been back since he’s changed his IV bag and barely gave Louis a chance to apologize for what he said before he left the room again. Louis thinks he’s being punished for upsetting Harry with the amount of pain he’s currently in that refuses to let up.

Going through labor alone is absolute torture. He’s got no one to hold his hand through the pain or someone to chat with to try and distract him. Did he really think he was strong enough to do this on his own? Louis’ certain it’s the pain that has him doubting his parenting skills. He’s raised his sisters since he was ten so he knows he’ll be a good mum, but right now, he’s not so certain.

Louis finds himself slamming his hand down on the call button and pressing on it frantically until none other than Harry waltzes into the room. Louis swore he had scared him off. “What can I do for you, Louis?”

“Drugs! Please,” Louis pleads. “This is unbearable!”

Harry goes to the whiteboard adjacent to Louis’ bed and grabs the clipboard out of the plastic holder, reading through Louis’ chart. “That’s not in your birth plan, I’m afraid.”

“Fuck the birth plan!” Louis hisses, slamming his fist against the bed.

Harry purses his lips to hide a smirk. “Your file clearly states to not administer any pain medications including but not limited to an epidural per the patient’s request. It’s even marked in red which means under no circumstance can we amend your request,” Harry explains, showing Louis the two bright red streaks toward the bottom. 

“That was _hours_ ago!” Louis whines. “The pain was nowhere near as bad as it is now!”

Harry sets the clipboard back in the holder and walks over to Louis. “You’ll thank me for abiding by your request once your daughter’s born.”

“Fuck you,” Louis snaps. “Get me someone else!” Louis doesn’t mean it, he really doesn’t. He’s just in a considerable amount of pain and Harry’s refusing to give him drugs. “I want the God damned epidural!”

Harry doesn’t seem phased by Louis expletives or yelling and clasps his hands behind his back. “How about we try a birthing ball? I can’t give you any drugs but there are other methods to help alleviate labor pains.”

Louis realizes it’s a lost cause. He’s not going to get the drugs. “Fine.”

Harry pats Louis’ leg and disappears out of the room and returns shortly with a large gray exercise ball. “This will help with some of the pressure in your hips and lower back.”

“I’ll try anything at this point,” Louis groans as Harry helps the pregnant man out of bed. Louis’ hands shoot out to grab Harry’s upper arms when he feels wobbly. 

“Whoa, there, I got ya,” Harry says, hands immediately seizing Louis’ sides. “I won’t let you fall.”

Harry and Louis exchange eye contact, the moment a bit more intimate than Louis intends for it to be. He figures now is the best time as ever. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Harry smiles and shakes his head. “Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t offended. I just had a lot of work that needed to be done. I promise.” Harry’s expression and the sincerity in his voice is affable and Louis nods. So, they leave it at that.

“My legs feel sort of numb.”

“You’ve been lying down too long,” Harry explains.

Louis sighs. “I’ve been here since five in the morning and it’s almost four in the evening,” Louis counters, staring at the digital clock mounted on the wall.

Harry helps position Louis on the birthing ball and once he’s settled, he lets out a groan of relief. “Oh my, God, this is heaven.”

Harry grabs the stool and sits in front of Louis so they’re eye level. “I told you. Feel free to lean against me if you need to. Whatever helps ease the pain.”

The pregnant man is grateful for the invitation and grips Harry’s shoulders, rocking back and forth on the ball as he rests his forehead against the nurse’s chest. The new angle relieves the pressure in his hips and lower back and he mumbles something along those lines aloud that earns a rumble of laughter from Harry. Louis’ mildly aware he’s invaded his personal space but he’s in too much pain to honestly be concerned.

“Excuse me if I’m prying, but usually someone in your condition has a companion or a relative to help them through labor and delivery.”

Louis lets out a resigned sigh. “My mum can’t get a sitter for my five siblings and my daughter’s sperm donor is out of the picture.”

“Sperm donor? Like invitro-fertilization?”

Louis snickers and glances up at Harry with a grimace of pain when he feels the next contraction. Harry helps him through it, rubbing his sides and coaching him through the pain. Once the contraction subsides, the pregnant man lets out a huff and gyrates his hips against the ball until he feels the pressure ease up again.

“Everything’s technical with you, isn’t it?” Louis asks. When Harry shrugs and gives a lame response, Louis can’t help but laugh. “No, Harry, I know who my daughter’s father is. It was a one-night stand. He’s just an immature arsehole who couldn’t take responsibility for his actions.”

“Some men can’t handle responsibility it seems,” Harry sighs sounding just as annoyed as Louis. The little radio resting on his hip goes off with a little alarm and Harry quickly silences it. 

Louis watches Harry check the little radio before setting it back on his hip. “You can go if you need to. I can do this on my own.”

“It’s not an emergency, I can stay. I directed it to another coworker,” Harry explains. “Plus, no one should handle labor alone.”

Harry had a point but Louis was too shy to admit that he really didn’t want the nurse to leave. The curly-haired lad was great company and had a way of distracting Louis from the contractions. It’s twenty minutes later when Harry gets another alert that he can’t ignore and has to unfortunately leave.

“Please don’t leave. You were distracting me from the pain. I lied; I can’t do this alone. Please,” Louis begs.

Harry looks torn between getting up from the stool or remaining in his spot with his hands on Louis’ hips while the pregnant man bounces to a rhythm he’s maintained in the last twenty minutes. Harry worries his lip as he tries to devise a plan so he can stay. “Let me go get someone to cover the alert and then I’ll be right back, okay?”

Louis nods and reluctantly drops his hands from Harry’s shoulders. “Please hurry.”

“Two minutes, I promise,” Harry declares. He helps Louis over toward the wall so he has something to lean on before he hurries out of the room.

In the twenty minutes Louis has spent one on one with Harry, he’s learned that he has an older sister named Gemma who is a few cities away at University. He’s a definite mama’s boy and does what he can to visit her at least twice a week. He’s a cat person and has a Tabby named Caramel. According to Harry, he’s always wanted to help people and figured getting into the medical field was his best option. The one thing that Louis can’t believe is the fact that this beautiful and sweet man is single. At first, the pregnant man thought Harry was joking until he saw the grave expression on his face. For the life of Louis, he can’t figure out why the man is single. If he was Harry’s boyfriend, he’d never let him go.

It takes Harry twelve minutes and thirty-six seconds to return, but who’s counting? “You said two minutes!” Louis cries amidst a contraction, rocking back and forth along the wall he’s leaning against.

“I’m so sorry, Louis,” Harry frantically apologizes. “There was a code blue and I had to assist the doctor.”

Louis purses his lips as the contraction subsides and looks over at the nurse. “Code blue?”

“A baby had stopped breathing.”

Louis’ eyes widen and his hands drop to his belly subconsciously. What if his child is born not breathing? What if it’s a stillbirth? “Oh, my God."

Harry pads over to Louis and crouches down so he’s eye level with the pregnant man, hands on both shoulders. “Hey, I know what you’re thinking and you can’t think like that. Every birth is different. This baby had medical problems from the get go. Your baby is going to born happy and healthy, alright?”

Louis nods and tries to keep himself from having a panic attack. “Is the baby okay now?”

“We got him breathing.” Harry grabs Louis’ forearms and lifts him off the birthing ball. “Let’s just focus on bringing yours into the world, yeah? Why don’t we go for a walk? It’ll help the labor progress.”

“You’re the expert,” Louis sighs, allowing Harry to wrap an arm around his back and lead him out of his room. 

They start the slow trek down the hospital corridors. Louis will admit that it feels good to walk. It gets the blood circulating through his legs from sitting down for so long. Harry’s right by his side, allowing Louis to walk on his own but ready to catch him or react at a moment’s notice. Everything goes smoothly as they pace the halls at Louis’ leisure. It’s when one particular contraction wracks through Louis so hard that he nearly doubles over and cries out.

“Distract me!” Louis wheezes, gripping one of the steps he’s hunched over.

Harry rubs Louis’ lower back and offers his free hand for Louis to squeeze. “How about 20 questions? If you can still talk through the contractions, that’s a good sign.”

“Sure, sure, whatever,” Louis pants, eyes squeezed shut as he tries to breathe. He’s never doing this again. Fuck labor. Fuck birth. 

“Okay, well, do you have a name in mind for your daughter?” Harry begins.

“Not sure,” Louis answers as the contraction _finally_ ends. Harry helps him over to a nearby bench where Louis sighs in relief. That last contraction was a bitch. “Torn between Margaux or Calliope.”

“Those are beautiful names.”

“Yeah, I think so, too. Is it my turn to ask a question?”

“That’s typically how the game is played, Lewis.”

Louis rolls his eyes at Harry purposely botching his name. “Are you gay?”

Harry bursts out laughing. Leave it to Louis to be blunt. “Gee, nothing gets by you does it?”

Louis shrugs with his own laugh. “Well, I’d be concerned if a straight guy was flirting with me.”

“Hm, for all you know, I could be bi-curious.”

The pregnant man quirks a brow. “Are you?”

“No, Louis,” Harry chuckles, “I’m as gay as they come. I told you, I was serious when I was flirting with you. I don’t just flirt with anyone. I like you.”

Louis purses his lips because…why? How could someone as sexy as Harry like someone like Louis? All Harry knows is that the pregnant lad fucked some random bloke and wound up knocked up. For all Louis knows, Harry could be lusting after him. Come on, who in their right mind would flirt with a pregnant person in _labor_?

“But why me, Harry? You got some pregnancy kink or something?”

“Are you always this judgmental?”

“No, not usually, but this all seems too good to be true, you know?” Louis questions. “I mean, I’m pregnant and in labor and I’m not exactly pretty right now?”

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Louis.”

“Regardless, Harry. Let me reiterate; I’m _pregnant_ and in _labor_ with another man’s baby. That doesn’t turn you off?”

Harry leans back against the wall and fiddles with his hands. “We all make mistakes, right? If everyone judged people at face value, then no one would ever date or get married or have children.”

Who was this man? And why was he so philosophical? “Sorry,” Louis deflates. “I didn’t mean to be that way. I guess I’m just caught off guard.”

Harry smiles and rubs Louis’ shoulder. “It’s okay, mate, you’re forgiven. If the roles were reversed, I’d probably question the situation, too.”

And just like that, they fall into a comfortable silence. If Harry’s truly flirting with Louis, it means he’s interested in him and Louis can’t help but be interested in Harry, too.

“So, you’re gay and you’ve been flirting with me all morning…” Louis finally speaks.

“Guilty on both accounts.”

“And you don’t just flirt with anyone but decided to flirt with me. Why?”

“Because you need a friend,” Harry says flatly.

Louis scoffs. “I need a lot of things.”

“Don’t we all?” Harry laughs.

“Possibly.” Louis shrugs. “I’m just used to doing everything on my own. When I found out I was pregnant, I went and told the father but his response was to give me a pat on the back and tell me ‘good luck!’ and went on his merry way.”

“What a wanker!” Harry exclaims.

Louis remembers that day vividly. He had done his fair share of sobbing and pissing on half a dozen pregnancy tests just to confirm his suspicions before he approached Nolan. The man’s reaction shouldn’t have stunned him as much as it did, considering Louis’ daughter was a product of a one-night stand. Regardless, having the man not wanting any part of Louis or their daughter’s lives still stung. It wasn’t until he got home after the encounter and ran himself a bath that he broke down and realized he was truly alone. 

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Louis sighs. “But you’re not like everyone else, Harry, I can tell. You’re a good man.”

“I try to be,” Harry responds, cheeks flushing. “Maybe this can be the start of a wonderful friendship, yeah?”

“Yeah, Harry. Just maybe.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Realization decides to smack him in the face at the most inopportune moment and Louis’ suddenly panicking. “Oh, God, this is real. I’m a father. I’m responsible for her. I’m on my own in this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi peoples!! I'm back with the 2nd part! The third part is halfway written and with the holiday tomorrow I'm not sure when it'll be completed but I won't keep you all waiting too long, I promise!!
> 
> As always, thank you for your love, support, and comments! Kudos and comments are always welcomed but not required :)

Part 2

“That’s it, Louis, nice big push,” Louis’ obstetrician coaches, gently pressing against the man’s entrance.

“Oh, God!” Louis cries out when he feels his daughter descending further. “This fucking hurts! I can’t do this anymore…”

“Rubbish,” Harry murmurs, holding Louis’ right hand. “Don’t you want to meet your little girl?”

Louis’ been pushing for what feels like hours. His daughter has taken her sweet time since he first got here and now she’s taking her sweet time even more trying to make her entrance into the world. This unrelenting burn has him in agonizing pain and he wants nothing more than to meet his daughter, but at this point, he wishes someone would knock him out so he doesn’t have to experience this torture anymore.

“I do,” Louis sniffles. “I’m just so tired.”

“I know, but the sooner you get her out, the sooner you can rest,” Harry encourages, placing his left arm behind Louis’ head. “Come on, nice big push, yeah?”

Louis nods and lets go of Harry’s hand in favor of grabbing the undersides of his knees and hunches forward. Harry keeps his arm behind Louis’ head for extra support as the pregnant man gives it his all and pushes.

“That’s it!” Harry exclaims excitedly when he peeks over and sees the head start to crown. “She’s crowning!”

Louis nearly screams when the skull finally pushes through and he plops back against the pillows. “Holy fuck.”

“Heads out,” one of the nurses announces as she hands Louis’ doctor the suction bulb.

“You’re doing well, Louis. A few more pushes like that and you’ll have your baby girl in no time.”

Louis just nods, panting as he stares up at Harry. “Please don’t leave me.”

Harry’s caught off guard by Louis’ plea but accepts it as Louis just being in pain let alone from the exhaustion of being in labor for the last twenty-two hours. Harry smiles with a simple nod. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Promise?” Louis pants, feeling another contraction coming.

Harry nods again and finds himself kissing Louis’ forehead before he can refrain. It’s a simple gesture, coming almost natural to the nurse and he doesn’t know why. It shocks himself as much as it shocks Louis but the pregnant man doesn’t seem to mind, especially when it calms his nerves. It’s a lengthy process but after another forty-five minutes, Louis’ daughter comes into the world in a rush of fluids and a cry so loud it echoes the room. 

Harry’s eyes are a bit misty and he’s got this huge shit-eating grin on his face as he watches the doctor place the wailing newborn on Louis’ chest. “You did it, Lou! She’s here!”

Louis’ a crying mess by the time his daughter is placed on his chest. He presses kiss after kiss to her bloody forehead and holds her close, not caring that she’s still covered in amniotic fluid and blood. All that matters is that she’s alive and healthy. “Hi, pretty girl. It’s okay, daddy’s got you. Daddy’s got you.”

“She’s beautiful, Louis,” Harry murmurs. “Congratulations.”

Louis stares up at his new friend and smiles tiredly. “Thank you, Harry. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

*** 

Louis doesn’t remember falling asleep. As soon as his daughter was born, everything went in a blur. They had whisked her away for a bath and measurements and Louis had passed out before they could return her to him. 

The room is dark save for the sliver of light coming through the bottom of the door leading out into the hallway. There’s a figure huddled under a blanket and Louis’ momentarily confused. Had his mum stopped by? Nolan has no idea Louis had gone into labor so Louis rules out that suspicion. Finally, everything clicks. “Harry?” 

The figure stirs and the blanket slides to the ground revealing a mop of curls and a hazy smile. “Hey, you’re awake.”

“How long have I been asleep?”

Harry glances at the digital clock. “Almost four hours.”

“Four hours?” Louis gasps. “But my baby! Oh my, God, she’s probably starving!”

“Hey, calm down. She’s probably napping, too. Birth is exhausting on a newborn as it is on their mum.”

“I want to see her,” Louis quickly says, already maneuvering around so he can get out of bed.

“Hey, whoa, slow down. We’ll go see her. Just let me help,” Harry says as he hurries off the small recliner and places a hand to Louis’ shoulder to stop his franticness. 

Louis finally notices that Harry’s still in his scrubs and frowns. “Are you still working?”

“I’ve been off for a while.”

“And you didn’t go home?”

“You told me not to leave, so I stayed,” Harry replies.

Louis’ eyes widen at Harry’s response. He doesn’t remember asking the lanky man to stay. He didn’t expect to gain a friend amidst labor and delivery either so a lot has caught the new parent off guard if he’s honest.

“Oh, Harry, I didn’t think you’d actually stay,” Louis says guiltily. “I was in a lot of pain.”

“Even so, I didn’t mind, Louis. I wasn’t going to leave you to go through that alone,” Harry remarks. “Your mum stopped by earlier but you were asleep. She went and visited your daughter in the nursery.”

So, in the day and a half that Louis’ been admitted, he’s gained a new friend; maybe even a best friend and said best friend has already met his mother. What game is this nurse playing at exactly? Not that Louis minds. His mother is great judge of character and he’s sure she’ll bombard him with questions when she visits again. 

“Shit, and both of you just let me sleep?”

“You just gave birth, Louis. Sleep is important for new parents. Both your mother and I agreed it was best to let you rest.”

Louis rolls his eyes. “So, you and my mother are buddy-buddy now?”

Harry laughs. “No, but we do share a common interest in the nursing field. There was a lot we agreed upon.”

“Of _course_ you did,” Louis laughs. 

Louis watches Harry leave his view for a moment as he goes to a small closet and pulls out a folded wheelchair. “Let’s go see your daughter.”

Louis smiles wide and with Harry’s assistance, carefully gets out of bed, wincing at the dull ache in his lower back and bum. “Fuck.”

“Easy, Louis,” Harry reminds as he helps Louis into the wheelchair. “You’re going to be sore for a while.”

“You couldn’t have said that _before_ I hurt myself?”

“I didn’t think you’d be so eager to get out of bed,” Harry defends.

“I just had a baby and I barely got to see her before I passed out. Of course, I’m eager to get up. I want to see the baby I’ve been carrying for nine months.”

Harry doesn’t disagree and wheels Louis out of his room. They take the short little walk down the hallway to the elevator up to the 4th floor where the nursery is. The closer they get, the more nervous Louis becomes. He doesn’t know why he feels all tingly inside and his stomach is turning to knots, but he figures it’s because he’s meeting his daughter truly for the first time. This is a child he’s carried for nine months—a child he’s felt flutter and kick and talked to that he’s responsible for.

“One second, okay?” Harry says as he parks Louis outside the nursery window before he walks through a door with little storks on them.

Harry returns with a small bundle wrapped in pink blankets and Louis gasps when the lanky male approaches him and reveals the cherub face of his daughter. “Oh my, God. That’s… she’s…”

“Yeah, Louis,” Harry beams, placing the tiny infant in the new parent’s arms. “She’s your daughter.”

It’s basic instinct to cradle his child and Louis holds her close to his chest. She’s a spitting image of him with the little tufts of blonde hair and the tiny button nose and thin lips. He presses a loving kiss to her forehead as his eyes mist over. “Hi, sweet girl. I can’t believe you’re finally here. Daddy loves you so much.”

Harry stands next to Louis and watches the blue-eyed male admire his child. “You’re a natural, Louis. She’s absolutely gorgeous.”

Louis smiles up at Harry before returning his gaze back to his daughter. “She’s perfect.”

Realization decides to smack him in the face at the most inopportune moment and Louis’ suddenly panicking. “Oh, God, this is real. I’m a father. I’m responsible for her. I’m on my own in this.”

Harry immediately crouches down in front of Louis and places his hand on Louis’ forearm. He smiles at the new father whose tears have finally spilled. Harry’s not certain if it’s from the joy or anxiety of the moment but he thumbs them away nonetheless.

“You’re not alone in this. You’ve got me.”


End file.
